Kansas, a state in the Midwest of the United States, is preparing to hold the first major vote on abortion on Tuesday since the United States Supreme Court struck down the federal right to abortion.
Kansas residents go to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether the Constitution of this traditionally conservative state should be amended to remove the guarantee of the right to abortion. Those in favor of the change – the “yes” supporters – say it would allow lawmakers to regulate abortion without interference from the judiciary.
“It just restores our ability to have a conversation,” argues Mackenzie Haddix, spokesperson for the “Value Them Both” movement, which seeks to end constitutional protections stemming from a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling. “The people of Kansas will then be able to unite (…) to reach a consensus,” she told AFP during a rally on Saturday morning.
Banning abortion is not the official goal of the “Value Them Both” campaign. But on the other side, activists see the constitutional amendment as a thinly veiled attempt to pave the way for a clear cut ban by the Republican-dominated local legislature, which would follow in the footsteps of at least eight other US states since the US Supreme Court ruling in June.
“Decisions About Our Body”
“No” supporters watch anxiously as neighboring states of Missouri and Oklahoma have imposed near-total bans (Missouri does not allow exceptions for rape or incest). In Kansas itself, a local conservative elected official introduced a bill this year that would ban abortion without exceptions for rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother. Currently, abortion is legal in Kansas up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Parental authorization is required for minors.
“Ultimately, the amendment takes away that right to personal autonomy enjoyed by all Kansas residents,” Ashley All, spokesperson for the Kansans for No campaign, told AFP. Constitutional Freedom” (KCF). “And that we are able to make decisions regarding our bodies, our families, our future without government interference is a right,” she added.
The vote, scheduled to coincide with a Kansas primaries, will be the first opportunity for American voters to express their views on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade.
Other states, including California and Kentucky, are due to vote on the issue in November, coinciding with midterm congressional elections in which Republicans and Democrats hope to rally their supporters around abortion.
In the midst of a tense debate on abortion, the country will have its eyes riveted on Kansas on Tuesday, since the results will be synonymous with either a boost or a snub for each of the two camps. Democrats strongly support abortion rights, while conservatives generally support at least some restrictions.
